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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Synthetic, Multi-Layer, Self-Oscillating Vocal Fold Model Fabrication

Synthetic, Multi-Layer, Self-Oscillating Vocal Fold Model Fabrication

Published on: December 2, 2011

A virtual castrato?

Ann-Christine Mecke¹, Johan Sundberg, Bernhard Richter

¹Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. mecke@irrelevanz.de

Logopedics, Phoniatrics, Vocology

|September 21, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Trained boy singers

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Area of Science:

Vocal acoustics
Musicology
Singing voice science

Background:

The unique vocal qualities of castrati have long fascinated researchers and musicians.
Reconstructing the sound of historical castrato voices presents significant challenges due to the lack of direct recordings.
Understanding the acoustic properties of the singing voice is crucial for historical vocal performance practice.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the acoustic characteristics that might approximate the sound of historical castrato voices.
To determine which vocal formant configurations are perceived as most similar to castrato singing.
To compare expert perceptions of synthesized castrato voices with historical accounts and known recordings.

Main Methods:

Trained boy singers' voices were digitally altered using transfer functions simulating specific formant clusters (bass, baritone, tenor).
A panel of vocal experts evaluated the synthesized voices based on similarity to Alessandro Moreschi (last castrato) and an idealized 18th-century castrato voice.
Statistical analysis was used to compare expert ratings across different formant conditions.

Main Results:

Voices modified with tenor formant clusters received significantly higher similarity ratings from experts.
Perceived similarity to the idealized 18th-century castrato voice was generally lower than similarity to Moreschi.
Tenor-like vocal qualities were identified as key acoustic features for approximating castrato sound.

Conclusions:

The study suggests that tenor-like vocal formant characteristics are crucial for synthesizing voices perceived as castrato-like.
Expert listeners could distinguish between perceived similarity to a specific historical castrato and an idealized historical vocal type.
These findings contribute to a better understanding of historical vocal production and the acoustic basis of voice perception.